Carry us along in sharing of palliatives – Deputy Minority Leader tells Ogun govt

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Deputy Minority Leader of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Lukmon Atobatele, has appealed to the executive arm of government to carry lawmakers along in the distribution of palliatives received from the federal government.
Recall that the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, had confirmed the receipt of 30,000 bags of rice from the federal government as part of the measures taken to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on the people of Ogun.
Talabi also disclosed that the state has received an undisclosed amount of money from the federal government for the same purpose.
In a statement on Sunday, Atobatele pleaded that the distribution of the grains and money should not be politicised or monopolised.
Atobatele told the SSG that the state government should “involve the State Assembly in the sharing of the palliatives meant to mitigate the effect of the subsidy removal policy.”
The Deputy Minority Whip, who commended the state government for acknowledging the consignments, noted that “members of the assembly are closer to the people in their constituents, thus the need to carry them along.”
He said, “Though the SSG assured that the distribution would have nothing to do with political or religious affiliations, it becomes political, if only the ruling party is made to decide solely, how to distribute the palliatives.”
The legislator said, “The Assembly should be involved in the distribution to ensure it gets directly to Ogun residents, whom the palliatives are meant for, and not members of the ruling party alone.”
Atobatele lamented the present hardship the people are facing, saying the people now find it hard to eat three square meals or meet basic needs.
“This is a trying time, and we must be committed and transparent to our people. This must not become a party affair.
“What happened during the COVID-19 period should not repeat itself. The names of committee members to decide the sharing of the palliatives must be in the open to know who is responsible,” he recommended.